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( No Model.)

A. M. PHELPS. SAFETY GUARD FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Patented Feb. 22

UUUUUUU U UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABEL M. PHELPS, OF NEw YORK, N. v.

SAFETY-G UARD FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,630, dated February 22, 1898.

Original application filed January 8, 1894, Serial No. 496,086. Renewed November 26, 1895, Serial No. 570,239. Divided and this application filed April 21, 1894. Renewed November 4, 1897. Serial No. 657,423. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABEL M. PHELPS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Guards for Railway-Oars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates toguards, fenders, and other protective appliances for steam, electric, and other motors, cable-traction, trolley, and other cars and vehicles, and has substantially the same objects in view as the invention set forth in my application for patent filed J anuary 8, 1894., Serial No. 570,239, of which this application is a division.

In general terms my invention comprises a frame carried by the running-gear and a web or body of yielding material between the said frame and the body of the car, whereby the body of yielding material will yield to the vibrating, rocking, and tilting of the car-body without afiecting the frame or prow or causing it to change its level with respect to the tracks and pavement.

To this end my invention consists of a fender comprising a frame or prow connected with the running-gear of the car and a Web or body of yielding material between the said frame and the body of the car so arranged and adapted as to prevent injury to a person coming in contact with it, and to yield to the rocking and tilting. of the car-body without affecting the frame or prow or causing it to change its level with respect to the tracks and pavement.

It further consists of a fender comprising a frame or prow connected with the runninggear of the car and a Web or body of yielding material between the said frame and the body of the car and inclosing the ends of the steps leading to the platform, whereby a person thrown to one side of the center of the fender is protected against injury by contact with the steps.

The invention further comprises various details of construction which will morefu'lly hereinafter appear.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the car-truck; P, the platform D, the dashboard; S, the steps leading to the platform, and K a curved bumper forming an extension of the platform outside of the dashboard, this part being in addition to the cars now in use, but not necessary to the safety appliance herein described.

F is a steel frame shaped to conform to the general plan of the bottom of the car and platform, which is in this particular case bowed or rounded at the front to conform to the front of the platform or its extension K and having its sides carried back in a straight line to the truck or running-gear to which its ends are bolted. By the plan view, Fig. 3, it will be seen that the sides of this frame are about in line with the outside edge e of the step and thereby about conterminous with the steps and the bottom of the car. The curved front of the frame is preferably conterminous with the extension K of the platform, as shown in Fig. 2, in order that no part of the fender shall be exposed to injury by passing vehicles and also that the fender may not interfere with the movements of vehicles in crowded streets. The frame, as stated, is connected with the side sills of the truck or other suitable part of the runninggear. Hence it is entirely independent of the body of the car and does not partake of the rocking and tilting motions of the body and remains constantly at the same level above the tracks and pavement whatever the weight on the car.

W is a body of yielding material, preferably wire-netting, connected at the bottom edge to the frame F and extending upward, preferably with an inward curve, to the bottom of the platform forward of the steps and at the steps extending to the bottom thereof only. The upper edge of the netting may be attached directly to the bottom of the platform and steps, but preferably it is attached to a framef, consisting of tubing jointed together and following the line of the platform and steps, (see Fig. 2,) and this frame is attached to the platform and steps by suitable devices. The wire-netting is made sufficiently slack to permit the usual rocking and tilting movements of the car-body without affecting the frame F. A body of yielding material is thus interposed between the fender-frame and the car-body, which prevents a body from passing backward under the car and serves as a buffer to lessen the force of the stroke when the fender strikes a person.

By rounding out the frame and the wirenetting a prow is formed which when it strikes a prostrate body has a tendency to throw it to one side or the other when striking on either side of its center line. As the wirenetting extends around to and incloses the ends of the steps, it is apparent that if the prow throws or shoves a body to one side or the other it will move it laterally clear of the steps of the car and will prevent injury by them.

The front or end of the frame F may be projected some distance in advance of the wire-netting and the space between the lower edge of the netting and the projecting part of the frame provided with a grating of bars or wires, so as to form a horizontal shelf, whereby the prow will be adapted to pass under a prostrate body and by lifting it on the shelf carry it wholly or partly while the motion of the car continues, and thus protect it from scraping against the pavement and tracks.

A modification of the invention to adapt it to cars running at high speed and prevent them from doing serious injury to a person by impact merely consists in carrying that part of the yielding body or wire-netting which is at the front up above the bottom of the car or platform, so as to inclose the same, and fasten its upper edge or the frame to which it is attached to a projection on the dashboard or any other convenient part thereof, as shown in Fig. 4, the frame in this case being extended some distance beyond the end of the car. It is to be understood that the term secured as used herein with reference to securing the netting to the car-body is to be given a liberal interpretation and is intended to cover a yielding or sliding attachment of the netting to the car-body as well as a rigid attachment thereof. A yielding or elastic fender is thus interposed between the end of the car and the person struck, with the result that the force of the impact will be greatly lessened and thereby serious injury prevented.

The yielding body is shown and described as a wire-netting; but it must be understood that I do not limit myself to this material, as others may be substituted without departing from the scope of my invention.

The yielding body may form a concave receptacle R under the platform and back of the front of the prow, so that a body caught up by the prow will be carried back onto the receptacle and retained there while the car is in motion.

The frame F is preferably made from a flat bar of steel the ends of which are bolted to the sides of the truck-sills, as shown, and at a point just forward of the end of the steps on each side the flat of the bar is twisted to a horizontal position, forming thus a flat horizontal prow II, which, running close to the track and pavement, is designed to pass under a prostrate body and lift it from the pavement or track instead of rolling it in front or passing over it.

Instead of making the frame F entirely of steel the side parts up to the outer ends of the steps may be formed by extending the side sills of the truck to these points, and the prow portion or that part extending around under the front of the car-platform only in this case would be made of steel or other metal, wood, or other material.

To strengthen and stiffen the frame F, cross-braces b b may be placed between the sides, extending from a point just forward of the truck to a point where the sides of the same begin to curve into the prow, as shown.

Atcurves where accidents are apt to occur on account of the defection of the end of the car and the steps from the line of the tracks, whereby persons standing nearby are liable to be struck and injured, this guard will be found particularly effective in preventing injuries to bystanders and others on account of its extending entirely around to and in front of the steps and the sides of the car and platforms.

It is of course obvious that the netting above described may extend entirely around the car as well as be confined to the front or rear parts thereof. It is also to be understood that I do not herein limit myself to the precise details shown and described herein, as it is obvious that the various parts maybe changed or altered to meet special requirements. I therefore considerit entirely with in the scope and spirit of my invention to alter any of the said parts or substitute their equivalents therefor.

I claim- 1. The combination with the running-gear of a car, of a frame secured thereto, and a flexible netting extending between said frame and the body of the car, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a car of a fender comprising a frame secured to the runninggear, independent of the bottom of the car, and a body of yielding material extending between the frame and the body of the car,

whereby the fender-frame is not affected by the rocking of the car-body, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a car-platform and the steps leading thereto, of a frame secured to the running-gear, independent of the body of the car, and a body of yielding material extending between the frame and the body of the car and steps, whereby the fender-frame is not affected by the rocking of the car-body and the ends and bottom of the steps are inclosed by the said yielding material, substantially as described.

4. In safety-guards for railway-cars, the combination of the frame supported independently of the car-body and provided with a prow having a flat horizontal portion, and a body of yielding material connected by its lower edge with the said frameand extending upward with a concave curve and secured to the platform, steps and car, whereby the rocking motion of the car-body is not communicated to the frame and a receptacle is formed for a body struck by the guard, substantially 'as described.

5. The combination with a car of a fender comprising a frame secured to the runninggear, independent of the body of the car, and a body of yielding material extending between the frame and the body of the car, and with its front portion curved up and secured at a point above the bottom'of the car or its platform, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

A. M. PHELPS.

Witnesses:

DAVID TIM, CHAs. E. PETERS. 

